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Friday, June 30, 2017

busman’s holiday

The first
recorded use of the phrase, “Busman’s holiday” was in 1893 in the UK when it
was used to communicate the idea is that a busman, going off on a holiday, would most
likely take an excursion by bus,
thereby engaging in a similar activity to his work.

Today,
we use the idiom in a consistent way, referring to our leisure-time enjoyment
of an activity that we generally do as a vocation “in real life.”

In his blog “Clergy Confidential,” the Rev. Tim Schenck, Rector of St. John’s Church in Hingham, MA, wrote this week about the difficult time that he has
visiting congregations during his summer vacation and how he is distracted in
worship by the technical aspects of the service.He can’t help but conduct a mental review
ofwhat’s going on around him.I know just how he feels.And I don’t think it is necessarily bad.To read Tim’s blog, here’s a link: www.clergyconfidential.com/2017/06/sitting-in-pew-im-worst.html

I
hope that when you go on vacation, that
you go to a new church with your eyes wide open.Not to offer a blow-by-blow critique with a
report to your rector upon arriving home (or, if you are the rector, to engage in this with pen and pad in hand, taking
copious notes for your next vestry meeting,) but to notice with the gift of
fresh eyes, several important aspects of life together as worshipping folk.I invite you to notice how you are greeted
and welcomed; what the church looks, feels, smells and sounds like as the
people gather for worship; how easily you are able to find the parking lot,
bathroom, coffee hour, nursery; how you can see and hear during the service; if
the instructions about how to receive communion are clear to you; where to
gather for coffee or lemonade after church; and how you are/or are not greeted
by the clergy or ushers on the way out, after the service.There is a lot that we can learn from each
other.

And,
share a good word.If the signage is
exceptional…. if the premiere spaces in the parking lot saved for visitors
delights you…. if the congregational singing is joyful and the children’s corner
in the side aisle inviting… if the celebrant’s chanting is soulful and the
sermon challenging… if the breathing space in the liturgy is generous and
centering… if the free trade coffee afterwards is delicious… SAY
SOMETHING.While we worship to the
Glory of God- to and for God-to be told
by a newcomer that something was received well, in the spirit of hospitality
and with grace, is a joy.

Liturgy
is not a performance, but an act of worship.Those of us in the Anglican tradition place a premium on the beauty,
dignity and structure of our liturgy which
offers grace and one way to encounter the Living God.To do liturgy “well” is not to be hung up on
getting all of the details right, but to provide an atmosphere in which the
distractions are kept to a minimum so that the experience can be
transcendent.It is hard to ascend to
communion with God if we are distracted by crooked altar hangings or a cipher
in the organ.And, liturgy at its best
offers a certain “flow” that brings us to the peak moment when we receive God
in the hollow of our extended hands at the altar rail; joyful singing, focused
praying, articulate preaching, and a dignified pace carries us to that
point.Liturgy that flows is neither fussy
nor lazy, and the celebrant and altar party play an important role as hosts of
this sacred event.

The
rest?The well- paved parking lot, fresh
coffee afterwards, an easy-to-read bulletin and good signage?It’s not gravy.It is essential.The hospitality received in all of these
things says that the community cares about its members and its visitors.

OK.

Now- what about those of us who go on holiday and stay away from church?God bless
you in your rest-taking, adventure-seeking, Sunday-morning-lingering-in-the-garden-with-another-cup-of-coffee
… for we all need that, too.There are
gifts to be received in worshipping with our Episcopal neighbors in new places,
and benefits to stepping way from our routine, as well.Heck, some of us might even decide to take
the “ecumenical or interfaith option” and see how our brothers and sisters of
different faith traditions gather on their holy day.

In
the end, we seek to glorify God.That
can be done at any time and in any place. But what joy to “come before his
presence with thanksgiving and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.” (Psalm
95:2)Enjoy your summer adventures, my friends.